


The Masterpiece

by amandaterasu



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dorks in Love, F/M, Love Confessions, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 21:35:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30129189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amandaterasu/pseuds/amandaterasu
Summary: While playing a game of Truth or Dare, Ann asks Futaba if she has a crush on anyone, leading to disaster.
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakura Futaba, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 41





	The Masterpiece

**Author's Note:**

> Yutaba is my biggest comfort ship, and I've been having a difficult week so I decided to write something to make myself feel better. This kind of grew a mind of his own and I wrote it all within a day. I hope you like it!
> 
> Depending on how popular this is, I might make a longer fic in my usual style for them!

"Ann," Makoto said, her cheeks already pink from the wine in her hand. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare!" she replied, holding up her beer. "Give me your best shot."

Makoto smirked. "I dare you to take a _horribly_ unflattering selfie and make it your profile picture for an hour."

Takamaki's answering shriek made Yusuke wince. It had been three years since they had stopped being phantom thieves but they were gathered to celebrate something else entirely: Futaba had been accepted into University, and was to begin classes the following week. He looked over at her, and much like him, she had ceased paying attention to the others; though in her case, she was absorbed in whatever game she was playing on her portable system. 

While Queen and Panther argued over what constituted an "unflattering" photograph, he scribbled out a quick portrait of their Oracle. It was nothing polished or grand; just a few sweeping lines to catch the drape of her hair over her shoulder, the fan of her eyelashes over half-lidded eyes as her gaze focused on the screen in her lap, the way her teeth tugged in her lower lip as she concentrated. 

He was just adding the shadow the frames of her glasses made on her cheeks when a crumpled up ball of paper hit him in the head. Reflexively, he snapped the sketchbook shut and gave the two women a half-hearted glare. "Can I help you?"

"We need your help determining what would be the least flattering angle for this picture," Makoto said. 

"Why don't you ask Ryuji?" he suggested. "I am sure he has seen his girlfriend from any number of unflattering angles."

 _"Ooooh_ no." Sakamoto held up his hands as if to ward off the very idea. "I might be a dumbass but you're not catching me in that trap."

"What?" Yusuke frowned. "Surely there are angles you've noticed that aren't very attractive."

"My girl is attractive from every angle," he insisted.

"Aww," Ann leaned over and kissed his forehead. "You're such a bad liar." She looked over at Yusuke. "But really, Fox, I need your help with this."

Grumbling in slight irritation he set his sketchbook down. "I will make the attempt, but I doubt I will be successful," Kitagawa admitted. "You are quite beautiful, and have excellent proportions. It is hard to find an angle to view you from that I would not be willing to paint."

She blushed. "Oh, you almost made it sound like you meant it," she teased, but still offered up her phone. 

Yusuke reached for it but Futaba snatched it, then opened up the camera app. "Takamaki Ann doesn't know how to read."

Ann scrunched up her face in confusion. "What are you talking abou-" The shutter sound interrupted her and Futaba laughed. 

"Here you go," she offered the phone back.

Makoto and Ann peered at the screen and started giggling, until Nijima snorted and then they broke into peals of laughter. "It's so horrible!" Makoto gasped.

"I look like I have three chins!" Ann added, and wiped tears from her eyes before she put it up online with a note that she was playing truth or dare.

Yusuke pulled his own phone out of his pocket and looked at the picture. "Well, I suppose I owe you a certain amount of professional respect," he said. "I would not have thought it possible to take such an unpleasant image of someone so beautiful."

Ren laughed. "I'm saving this."

Haru smacked his arm. "Do not! Ann is only doing it for a dare."

"Once it's on the internet, it's there forever!" Morgana added. "Though you should ask Lady Ann if she minds."

"I don't," Ann said, grabbing her drink. "I trust Ren not to publish it anywhere." She took a long sip and looked around. "But, it's _my turn."_

Ryuji shook his head. "Here we go."

"Futaba!" she said, and the girl in question blinked in surprise. "Truth or dare?"

Oracle bit her lip. "Truth. I'm not brave enough for a dare."

Ann groaned. "Aww, you're no fun. But okay! I have a juicy question for you, and you had better not lie."

"Okay?" she said.

With a triumphant smirk, Ann asked, "Do you have a crush on anyone?"

Futaba's tentative smile faltered, and her eyes went wide in a manner that reminded Yusuke of cartoon depictions of mice cornered by cats. Laughing nervously, she said, "Y-you blew your question on _that?_ That's a newbie play in this game."

Takamaki drummed her nails against the side of the can in her hands. "Then it should be easy for _you,_ shouldn't it?"

With a little frown that made her lower lip jut out, Futaba said, "Yes. Fine. There is someone I like." To his surprise, Yusuke felt his heart drop out of his chest and he fiddled with his pencil anxiously as she continued, "But he doesn't like me, he likes someone else, and changing the way he sees me is an epic quest that I'm not a high enough level to start on."

Haru and Makoto exchanged a glance behind Ann, who winced. "I'm sorry, Futaba. But… Hey!" She brightened again, grabbing the guest of honor's hands. "It's your turn! You should make Ren do something crazy."

Shaking her head, Futaba pulled her hands back. "No, I…" The smile she plastered on her face was fake - real smiles from Futaba reached far higher on her face, causing little creases at the corner of her eyes. He had sketched them more times than he would care to admit. "I need to be going. I am planning to go to Akihabara tomorrow to buy some upgrades for my rig, and I need to be well-rested for that."

"I'll walk you home," Yusuke blurted out, already rising to his feet. "I don't want to miss the train."

"Oh, I can just call you a ca-" Haru clamped her mouth down around her words when she saw Ryuji subtly sweeping his hand back and forth just below his chin. "O-Oh. Will you text us and let us know once you've dropped off Futaba-chan?"

"Of course." He nodded to the others who were looking concerned, then followed Futaba downstairs and out the front door of LeBlanc.

"You don't have to walk me home," she said weakly.

"No, but it was a convenient excuse to leave," he confessed. "I am not of a mind to answer importuning questions." She looked at her feet, so he added. "Besides, it will give me time to work on my next painting."

"Y-yeah." 

They walked to the Sakura Residence in silence, giving Yusuke the opportunity to turn things over in his head. Why had his mind come to a screeching halt when Futaba had admitted she had feelings for someone? It wasn't surprising; she was 19, after all. And he flattered himself to think they were close enough that if she were asexual, she'd have told him by now. 

Perhaps it was simply surprise? He didn't know much about who she had spent time with at Shujin, so the boys she would have been surrounded with were mostly mysteries to him. He had never given it much thought, but now he scoffed at his carelessness. If he had paid more attention, perhaps he would know who it was. But no one new had come up in their conversations...

Yusuke's mind was still spinning when Futaba's footsteps stopped beside him, and he glanced up to find they had arrived at her home. He must say something to reassure her, he decided. He had been working diligently on his "people skills" in recent months, as it was the source of most of the critique from his professors at Geidai; comforting a friend was an important part of that. Besides, if anyone was worth the effort, it was certainly _Futaba._

Clearing his throat, he said, "If the man you so admire does not reciprocate your affection, he is not worthy of you, Futaba-chan."

Her cheeks flamed as red as her hair. "I-it's fine, Yusuke, really."

"Is it?" He tilted his head. "He seems to be causing you an unusual amount of distress. I find I dislike him more and more." It was true. Once he gave himself permission to think ill of the mystery man, he found his heart running with it. Whomever she had fallen for didn't understand how _lucky_ he was, and probably paid little attention to his fortune.

"It's -" her voice choked off, and she shook her head. "Look, I know you're trying to help, but you're actually making this harder. I'm the one who decides if he's met all the prerequisites to do the epic quest that is dating me, nobody else."

"I understand that, however -" 

She cut him off, pushing her way through the gate. "Look, it's fine. It's fine. I'll deal. You - He -" Futaba shook her head and placed her hand on the doorknob. "He's been in love with Ann the whole time I've known him. She's the only woman he ever calls beautiful. I'm not what he's looking for, so I'm going to abandon this quest, and hopefully I'll find another." With that, she pushed open the door and slipped inside, shutting it behind her before he could gather his thoughts.

In love with… _Ann?_

His head swiveled back towards Leblanc, even though he knew it couldn't be seen from here. He ignored the way his breath was coming in short bursts. Of _course,_ he thought ruefully. _Ryuji does make a sick sort of sense._ After all, Skull shared Futaba's passion for video games; they spent untold hours at the arcade together. And to her, he would be 'safe.' She could develop feelings for them and entertain them without pursuing them, knowing he was firmly caught in Ann's grip. But then again… 

Yusuke looked back at Futaba's door, his brow furrowing. What if there had been more than that? They had gone to school together. Yes, Ann had attended school with them, but she generally didn't interfere in their time together at the arcade. And if there was _no_ hope, Futaba would have given up on her senpai by now. Did that mean…?

His stomach lurched as worst case scenarios played themselves in vivid detail in his head, and he forced himself to walk to the train station. He could think about this in his dormitory.

* * *

**One Week After the Party**

Another sketchbook sailed across the room, followed shortly by the stub of a pencil. "Why can't I get them out of my head?" Yusuke hissed, flopping down onto his bed. He had been trying to come up with mockups for his next painting, but all the notes he'd made on portrait ideas were being consumed with his new _obsession;_ every time he put pencil to paper what flowed from his hand wasn't what he intended to draw, but Futaba in various _delicate_ situations with Ryuji. 

It was absolutely obscene. 

A part of him knew he should call her and ask how her first few days of classes went. That's what he would have done, up until he'd realized her affections for Sakamoto. Now he couldn't bear the idea of hearing that sadness in her voice, and being unable to fix it. Not now that he knew the cause.

He lay like that for hours, staring up at the ceiling, paralyzed by the desire to draw and the knowledge that his sketches would bring him nothing but pain - until a buzz from his bedside table alerted him to a message on his phone. Yusuke considered tossing the vile thing out the window for fear it might be Futaba, but he felt a little better when he saw Makoto's portrait instead, so he opened it.

 **Makoto:** Good afternoon, Yusuke! How are you feeling?

 **Yusuke:** Frustrated. My art isn't going well.

 **Makoto:** Ooh, I'm sorry. We noticed you hadn't been active in the group chat, so I wanted to check up on you. Why don't we go get lunch? My treat.

 **Yusuke:** I couldn't impose.

 **Makoto:** An imposition would be making me worry about you more.

 **Yusuke:** You're not going to let me get out of this, are you?

 **Makoto:** Nope.

 **Yusuke:** Fine.

An hour later he found himself sitting next to Queen, plucking sushi off a conveyor belt.

"So, are you going to talk about what's troubling you, or are we going to play twenty questions?" 

"There isn't much to talk about," he said. "Futaba told me something in confidence, and I'm struggling with my feelings about it."

"Why are you struggling with _your_ feelings?" Makoto asked, snatching a little tray of unagi and setting it in front of her. "It's not like your crush on her has ever been a secret."

Yusuke choked on his tea. "My _what?"_

Lifting a hand to her mouth, his companion seemed surprised. "You _don't_ have feelings for her?"

He stared at her for a few minutes, then back to his sushi. It had never occurred to him until now - now that Makoto had given him the words to put to his nameless emotions. His art block made a pathetic kind of sense; he was in love with Futaba, and Futaba was in love with Ryuji. There was nothing for it, the jealousy must be exorcised through painting. 

The realization Makoto was still waiting for a response made him laugh. "Forgive me. I do. I just didn't realize until now."

"That's good then, right?"

Snorting in derision, he shook his head. "She doesn't reciprocate."

Makoto blinked. "What?"

"That was the secret she told me - the identity of the boy she has a crush on. It's not me." He shoved a piece of salmon sashimi into his mouth to short circuit his sudden urge to confide in his friend. If Futaba wanted everyone to know how she felt about Skull, she would have said something at the party, not in a quiet street alone with him in the darkness.

"Oh, Yusuke…" 

"It's fine. At least talking to you has helped me understand my own feelings so I can move past them."

* * *

**Two Weeks After the Party**

"Hey kid!" Ryuji said, ruffling Futaba's hair as she scooted into line beside him. "I was worried you were gonna miss it."

"Cut it out," she complained, straightening her hair. "Or I won't go easy on you."

"Please, like you can hold up against my skills." He flexed as if to emphasize his point, but Futaba just laughed. 

"You know that's never as impressive as you think it is," Ann said, ignoring the way the people in line behind them complained about her cutting in as well.

"You came!" He threw an arm around her and kissed her cheek. "I was worried you wouldn't make it."

"I didn't know you invited Ann to join our party," Futaba said, feeling her anxiety rise. Hanging out with Ryuji was one thing, he didn't try to push her when it came to her feelings; but Ann was like a shark, once she scented blood in the water, she wouldn't leave you alone until she knew the whole thing. And Futaba's confession of her unrequited love - and worse, Yusuke's absolute radio silence in the weeks since she'd told him the truth - might as well have been cutting her own throat before swimming.

"A guy can't want to see his girlfriend?" Ryuji snarked. "Besides, you've been kinda down."

Ann frowned. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"There's nothing to say. I tried the confession boss fight and failed."

 _"Confession?!"_ Ann's eyes widened. "Oh my god! Who's your boyfriend then?"

"I don't have a boyfriend." Futaba folded her arms around herself, as if she could hide in her jacket and vanish into the shadows. "He stopped talking to me."

"Who?" Panther's fists came down on her hips. "I'll kill him. Any guy who can't see how lucky he is that you would come out of your shell that much for _him_ deserves to get pounded into the dirt."

"It doesn't matter -"

"It _does!_ It's someone from Shujin, right? I'm sure he -" Ann's voice trailed off when Ryuji shook his head.

Futaba wanted to say something, but the fear of speaking in public had come back with a vengeance. She shoved her hands in her pockets and shrugged.

"Do you mind if I tell her who it is?" Ryuji asked quietly.

"You _know?"_ Ann was aghast. "And you haven't told me already?"

"It's Futaba's choice, not mine," he said firmly. 

Jerking her chin in a short nod, Futaba looked down at the ground while Ryuji said, "It's Kitagawa, Ann."

"And he doesn't _like you back!?"_ Takamaki's voice had gone shrill, and Futaba flinched. "That idiot!"

"We can all agree that Yusuke's an idiot," Ryuji said diplomatically. "But we can't hold it against him if he doesn't have a thing for Futaba. You can't force that."

"True," Ann agreed. "But that's no excuse to not talk to her."

"He's probably just giving me time to reset my cooldowns," Futaba interjected. "I kinda blew them all to get enough HP to do the combo that was confessing in the first place."

"He is pretty awkward too…" Ann admitted as she and Ryuji exchanged a look. "But someone needs to say something to him. He can't drop off the face of the earth forever, even if Makoto went to check on him last week."

"What did she say?" Ryuji asked.

Ann shrugged. "She said he's fine. That's all."

Ryuji scratched the back of his head and sighed as the line started to move. "I'll text him tonight. For now, let's just have fun."

"Yeah," Futaba said, ignoring the clawing in her chest.

* * *

Yusuke swallowed anxiously as he stood outside of Leblanc, a wrapped painting under one arm. Futaba always went to play video games with Ryuji on Saturday afternoons, so now would be the best time to leave this with her adoptive father.

Sojiro looked up as the bell over the door rang, and gave Yusuke a friendly smile. "Kitagawa-kun! Can I get you some coffee? Maybe some curry for lunch?"

He shook his head. "I didn't bring any money."

Giving him a dim look, Sojiro pointed to the nearest barstool. "Sit down, kid. It's on the house."

Unable to fight the allure of a free meal, he took the indicated seat and set the painting down beside him. "I'm sorry to be a bother," he said.

"Don't worry about it." Sojiro set a cup of coffee in front of him and nodded toward the painting. "Another masterpiece?"

"I wouldn't call it that," Yusuke mumbled, sipping the drink and letting the bitterness wash through him. "It is a gift for Futaba."

Pausing after filling a plate of curry from the pot, Sojiro lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Yusuke held the coffee in his hands, letting the warmth seep through the porcelain and into his fingers. "We had a conversation a couple of weeks ago, and she confessed her feelings." He could see the way the older man set his jaw, and he laughed. "Not for me, don't worry. I…" He took another sip of coffee. "I didn't even realize my affections for her until she told me she was pining for someone else."

Sojiro set the plate in front of him and patted his shoulder. "That's too bad."

"It's all right. I took some time to understand my jealousy and put it on canvas." He nodded down to the painting. "I don't think I'm ready to face her yet, which is why I was hoping to leave it with you, to take home to her this evening."

"Of course, kid." 

They both lapsed into silence while Yusuke ate, letting the television fill in the gaps where their conversation would have been. Once he had finished, Yusuke stood and brushed his hair out of his face. "Thank you again for the meal, Sakura-san. And if it is not too much trouble, could you tell Futaba …" He swallowed nervously, looking down at the wrapped painting. "Could you tell her that I will not stand between her and Ryuji, and I will be happy to be friends again once I have gotten over my feelings for her."

"I…" Sojiro frowned. "Sure, kid. Don't be a stranger."

"Until next time," he said, then left.

* * *

"I'm home!" Futaba called as she kicked off her shoes at the door. "What's for dinner?"

"I ordered some sushi." Sojiro said, coming to lean on one wall. "I was hoping you and I could have a chat."

"A chat?" She tilted her head up toward him. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," he chuckled. "Yusuke came by the cafe today. He told me about your conversation."

The heat crawled up her neck and across her face, and Futaba knew her skin must match her hair. "H-he what?"

Sojiro nodded. "I must admit, I had my suspicions you had a crush, but I wasn't expecting it to be on _Ryuji."_

"Ryuji?" she asked in confusion. "Why would you think it would be…"

_"He's been in love with Ann the whole time I've known him. She's the only woman he ever calls beautiful. I'm not what he's looking for, so I'm going to abandon this quest, and hopefully I'll find another."_

Futaba giggled, unable to control it as she leaned on the wall and slid down, her giggles expanding into full on laughter as her butt hit the tile. 

"Are you okay?" Sojiro asked, taking a step toward her.

"He thinks…" Another round of giggles that included a Makoto-like snort interrupted her. "That I'm in love with…" Futaba gasped for breath, tears crowding her eyes. _"RYUJI?!"_

"I take it you aren't?"

She couldn't talk around the laughter, so she shook her head. 

His shoulders shook, and soon he was laughing just as much, pulling off his own glasses to wipe his eyes. When he had a bit more control over himself, Sojiro said, "Futaba…"

"Yeah?" She asked, looking up at him from the floor with tear-streaked cheeks, a wide smile on her face.

"Do you want to see the painting he left for you?"

At once, they both broke into another round of laughter before he helped her to her feet, and they walked into the living room, where he had set the still-wrapped painting against the wall.

Together, they pulled the muslin away and stared at the art piece.

"Oh my god," Sojiro said, trying desperately not to laugh.

"I think I lost all of my MP just looking at it," Futaba said, burying her face in her hands. "We need to burn it."

Grinning, Sojiro said, "Oh no, I'm having this framed. I'm going to hang it next to _Sayuri_ in Leblanc."

Futaba stared in mute horror at Yusuke's creation: a violent series of brush strokes that only gave vague impressions of shapes at the outer corners, becoming more and more focused as it approached the focus of the piece - she and Ryuji sharing an intimate kiss, obviously nude, though nothing inappropriate was shown. 

"I'm going to kill you, Sojiro," Futaba said. "I'm going to kill you, then Yusuke, then burn this painting and this house with me inside it."

* * *

Yusuke sat before his easel with a pencil, trying to draw out the base sketch for his next work onto canvas. While he was still struggling with his feelings for Futaba, finishing and gifting her the painting had at least helped him move past the art block. His professors would be pleased.

On the side table with his painting supplies, his phone buzzed, and he glanced down to see Ryuji's face, then looked away. He didn't doubt that Skull _meant_ well, but he didn't trust himself to be fair to him, given he was unintentionally leading Futaba on. His phone continued to vibrate, faster and faster until it nearly fell off the table. 

Rolling his eyes with frustration, he picked it up and found he had a number of missed messages in the "Guy's Chat" Joker had established just after he returned to Tokyo for University.

 **Skull:** YUSUKE

 **Skull:** YUSUKE I KNOW YOU'RE THERE

 **Joker:** Dude, mind the caps.

 **Skull:** I'll mind the caps when this fucking moron ANSWERS THE DAMN MESSAGES

 **Joker:** What's up?

 **Skull:** This dumbass ghosted Futaba after her party.

 **Joker:** To be fair, he ghosted all of us.

Yusuke sighed and started responding.

 **Fox:** I thought it for the best that I take some time to myself. I spoke with Sakura-san this afternoon about it, he said he would relay my message to Futaba-chan.

 **Skull:** I don't get what's got your panties in a twist.

 **Joker:** Would someone please explain what's going on?

 **Fox:** After Futaba's party, when I walked her home. She confessed to me that she had feelings for Ryuji.

 **Skull:** WHAT

 **Skull:** WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF

 **Joker:** Hold on. Yusuke, what *exactly* did she say? Did she name Ryuji specifically?

 **Skull:** WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF

 **Fox:** I admit, she didn't use his name. But she said the man she loved was in love with Ann. It's not hard to figure out who she meant.

The chat went silent, and Yusuke sighed in relief. At least now that Ryuji knew, he could either let Futaba down gently, or break things off with Ann. He was about to set his phone down and get back to work, when it buzzed in his hand again.

 **Skull:** I cannot believe Futaba tried to confess to you and you thought she was in love with me.

**Joker has uploaded an image.**

The picture was a screenshot of their chats from a few weeks ago.

> **Fox:** I think Ann is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

Then another image. 

> **Fox:** Do you think Ann might be willing to do a nude painting if it doesn't actually show anything scandalous?

After that, Joker was uploading images faster and faster. Filling the chat with all of Yusuke's messages about Ann from their group chat.

 **Skull:** I cannot believe Futaba tried to confess to you and you stopped speaking to her for weeks.

A few more images came in.

 **Skull:** Dude.

 **Skull:** DUDE.

 **Skull:** DUUUUUUUUUDE.

Yusuke stared down at his phone in shock, his breath coming fast, his head pounding. 

**Fox:** But I'm not in love with Ann. 

**Joker:** Can you blame her for thinking you are?

 **Skull:** Yeah man. It took me a minute to figure out you liked my girlfriend the same way you liked those lobsters. And Futaba has fewer social skills than I do.

 **Fox:** I need to go see Futaba. Right now.

* * *

The train came to a stop and Futaba stepped off of it onto the platform, checking to make sure the painting was still securely wrapped. She was returning this cursed image back to Mount Doom where it had been forged, and she was going to talk to Inari about the misunderstanding in the process.

The idea alone was terrifying (not to mention what would happen if the wrapping fell off this wretched canvas) so she focused instead on putting one foot in front of the other as she descended the stairs and headed out of the station. 

Stopping to get her bearings, she heard a familiar voice. "Futaba?"

Yusuke was there when she looked up, staring at her with unusual intensity, and her mouth went dry. What was she supposed to say? This wasn't in any of the Visual Novels she'd played through. Her mouth wouldn't work, and oh, crap, she could feel herself blushing, and -

"Let me help you with that," he said, taking the painting and tucking it under one arm. "I suppose you didn't like it?"

She knew he was teasing her, in his own, subtle way, but it was still too much. "Sojiro said he was going to hang it in Leblanc. I would literally rather die."

"He did call it a masterpiece." Yusuke's smile was warm. "Futaba, I need to tell you, I -"

"Not here," she said abruptly. "It has been a really long day, and we do need to talk about this, but not in public."

He nodded. "My dorm isn't far. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes," she said, and didn't object when he put his free arm around her and guided her through the park towards his university.

* * *

"It's not much," Yusuke mumbled apologetically as he held his door open for Futaba and she followed him in. "But it's at least a private place to talk."

"Yeah…" She looked around the small single room while he set the painting next to the stack of others. "I guess I wasn't expecting the walls to be so bare."

He cast his own eye around, remembering how crowded her space was. "I tend to get distracted if I have too much around me when I work."

"You tend to get distracted in general." Her voice was teasing, but he could hear the undercurrent of anxiety.

One of them was going to have to start this conversation, and given how he had ignored her for two weeks after she had tried, Yusuke decided it must be him. "You just think that because I'm always distracted around _you."_ He let himself settle onto the stool in front of his easel and watched her. How had he missed the way his own feelings had grown over their years of friendship?

"So…" Futaba's cheeks were flushed, and she looked down at her hands, pressing the tips of her index fingers together. "Sojiro told me what you said, so I need to tell you: I'm not in love with Ryuji."

"I had gathered as much from the rather scathing comments I received from Sakamoto-kun before I left to find you."

"You were looking for me?" She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his through the space between her bangs and her glasses.

"Yes," he signed and folded his hands in his lap. "I didn't know I had feelings for you until a week ago. Makoto took me to lunch to find out why I'd been so quiet and helped me understand why I was so upset at the idea of you being with someone else."

"And your response was to make an object so cursed I think it gave my computer a virus?"

"Your computer?"

Futaba chuckled and walked closer to him. "Come on, you think I didn't take a few pictures and save it for posterity? I'm going to deploy it like a tactical nuke on Skull when he least expects it."

Yusuke reached forward and took her hands in his as he laughed. "So, Oracle," he whispered. "What happens now?"

She shrugged. "We subverted the Bad End, so I guess this quest line has two endings left."

He let his hands ghost along her forearms and slide around her waist, pulling her closer. "Which are?"

"First: We pretend none of this ever happened, and go back to being 'just friends.' Eventually our feelings cool off and we… we…" Her words faltered and she blushed as his hands slid up her back. 

"We?" he asked, prompting her to continue.

Huffing out a frustrated breath, she finished with, "We fall in love with other people."

He tilted his head toward the objectionable painting in the corner. "We've seen how I react to _that,"_ he whispered, then brushed her hair out of her face. "What's the second ending?"

"W-we form a party - just the two of us - so we can do quests and get achievements as a team rather than playing solo." 

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I like that one." Yusuke paused, and waited for her to meet his gaze. When she did, he asked, "Can I kiss you, now?"

Futaba shook visibly as she reached up and put her arms around his shoulders. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Okay."

Yusuke leaned forward and discovered _very_ quickly what his next painting was going to be about.

* * *

**Ten Years Later**

"Kitagawa-san!" 

Yusuke ignored the reporters, draping a protective arm around his wife as he escorted her into the gallery. Over the years she'd gotten better with crowds, and you would barely know Futaba had once been a recluse, but the loud voices and camera flashes could still send her into a tailspin if her exposure to them wasn't limited. It hadn't been so bad before but as his work gained recognition, he'd been honored as a "Person of Cultural Merit" - and now the press followed his showings rather closely. 

"Are you all right?" he asked her once they were inside.

"Half MP," she said. "I just need a minute to get my bearings."

"Of course." Yusuke leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Let's get you settled. Do you want me to go find Ren?"

"No," she shook her head and let him guide her to a backless couch in the middle of the room. "He hasn't been my key item for a long time." Futaba nudged him with her shoulder. "But you know that."

Taking the hint, he sat down beside her and they looked at the painting that hung on the far wall - the one he had made for her when he stupidly believed she might have feelings for Ryuji. "Do you think we should tell them it's here, or let them discover it for themselves?"

"Let them discover it for themselves. If we tell them in advance, they might try to talk you into having it removed."

Her sadistic chuckle brought a smile to his face. "Can I kiss you, now?"

Futaba's fingers slid over his shirt and tugged him closer. "Okay." 

He let himself fall into the pull of their mutual affection and pressed his lips to hers, savoring the soft sigh she always made when she opened her mouth to let him taste her. They ignored the sounds of footsteps coming in and out of the room - as a famous artist, he was expected to be eccentric; as a famous artist's wife, she was expected to put up with his esoteric whims. It certainly was a convenient arrangement.

She deepened the kiss, and he could tell by the way she was brushing her fingernails along the nape of his neck that she wasn't going to be satisfied with just a kiss, but they were interrupted by Ann's voice shouting, "WHAT THE FUCK?"

The two of them broke into peals of laughter as Ryuji insisted, "I swear, Ann, it's not what it looks like!"

"I told you that painting is cursed, Yusuke," she mused.

Shrugging, he kissed her forehead. "You're the one who told me to keep it."

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my writing and want to know when I publish other stuff, follow me on Twitter: [@amandaterasu](https://www.twitter.com/amandaterasu).
> 
> If you want to hang out with my friends and I and talk about silly fandom stuff, check out my [Discord!](https://discord.gg/Xh3Sfej)


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